To Travel is to Live.

I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.
Susan Sonntag

Travelling with Pádraig is fun and a great education.

Fun, because I can share Pádraig’s enjoyment of life and adventure. Education, because I learn so much about other people’s perception of Pádraig.

Last week we went to Madrid for just a couple of nights. Because we love Madrid. Because we could meet some old friends there. And because the flights to the German Christmas markets were too expensive.

It was astonishing to see people’s reactions when we were going into bars and restaurants.

Before we even got there, we had to explain to a very nice lady at Madrid airport whose job it was to organise taxis, that Pádraig’s wheelchair did fit into most converted cars. And that we would too. She called a “Eurotaxi”, which is what the converted taxis in Madrid are called, warning the driver that this was a gigantic wheelchair, accompanied by three adults with three bags. – Thankfully, it turned out that the driver took life, and us, in a less dramatic way.

Next stop was the hotel we had booked, giving them plenty of notice that one of us was a wheelchair user. No problema. When we got there and had checked in, it turned out that the lift was too narrow – obviously, un problema bastante grande. The receptionist was a bit under pressure, I’d give him that, but what followed was very hard to swallow: Had we really advised beforehand that one in our party was a wheelchair user? Could we show them the email? Had we sent them the dimensions of the wheelchair? I mean… really??? Even when we showed them the email and said that we had never been asked for the dimensions, he didn’t really calm down. In the end, we found a cheaper, better, and more friendly hotel around the corner.

The day continued with bar staff telling us getting in would be really complicated, others that we needed to sit in a part of the (empty) bar we didn’t really want to sit in.

In the end, it all turned ou fine. We had pulpo (what else?) in the Cervecería Alemana (where else?), an exceptional breakfast in the Barrio de las Letras, and a wonderful walk in the Retiro. We met our friends and had a fabulous time with them in a little restaurant on the Plaza de Santa Ana.

The return trip turned out to be very exceptional. It was so windy at Dublin Airport that many flights were re-routed, though ours safely landed on time and without too much turbulence. As soon as all passengers had left, one of the flight attendants came over to us and said that Pádraig was going to be lifted down the steps of the aircraft because they couldn’t use the normal lift-on as it was too windy. When they heard about Pádraig’s height, they checked with the Operations Headquarter who asked airport police and firefighters to assess the situation.

For an hour or so, it was unclear how and when Pádraig was going to be able to get off the plane. Eventually, they used one of the big fire engines to act as a wind barrier and got us all of with the normal lifter.

Staff at the airport, including those with more than 15 years of experience, all said that they had never experienced anything like this first hand.

Pádraig will continue to travel, to live, and to enjoy life.

And one day the world will be ready for Pádraig.

He’s on the job. The rest of the world is on his list.

Once Pádraig was safe and back at home, I went to the An Saol Centre where a UCD student and two experts from the Galway-based company ByoWave had started to set up the new Games Room. “Cool” isn’t the word to describe it.